


Ugly

by TheFauxnix



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-20
Updated: 2017-05-21
Packaged: 2018-11-04 05:50:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10984668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFauxnix/pseuds/TheFauxnix
Summary: Hermione has everything she could want; Ministry career, great friends, owns her own flat...yet one Draco Malfoy stopping by her office can show her that everything has become so...





	1. Chapter 1

_May 3, 1999_

 

* * *

 

Hermione Granger always wanted to travel.

Not in a tent with two boys fleeing for their life type of travel, but the kind with an itinerary and maps.

Dining in actual restaurants.

With seats and a roof.

Maybe with the two boys too, if they were amenable.

The thought had sprung up insistently last night during the Ministry-funded party commemorating the first year anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts.

The fall of Voldemort, that mad, psychotic…

Back to thinking about travel.

To do so would require funds.

To get the funds she had to work.

In that regard, Hermione was doing quite well. She had accepted the offer from the Minister to begin in the Magical Law Enforcement department shortly after N.E.W.T.'s. Kingsley promised he'd switch her to Magical Creatures when most of the issues in MLE were resolved.

Apparently she should've paid more attention to the wording. It was a never-ending flow of petitions, deadlines, invitations to network, complaints, employee reviews...

Her desk was as neat as all the papers and frames would allow. She had a color coded calendar charmed to the wall to her right, with nary a blank space to be seen.

Hermione had carefully placed a handful of pictures on her desk. One was of her parents, the other was of the twins mugging for the camera, clipped out of an article announcing the success of their store.

She also, defiantly, framed a copy of the original Order of the Phoenix.

Their waving hands caught her eye, and she spied a young Remus Lupin tiredly smiling. Instead of returning to her work at hand, and there was a great deal of it, she looked at the next picture.

It was Ginny and Tonks. Photo Tonks switched between a Snape nose, a button nose, and a pig nose. Caught in an eternal loop, they both laughed at her warmly and silently.

The last was of Colin Creevey next to a clearly uncomfortable Harry, who kept eyeing the escape routes while the eleven-year old Muggleborn beamed for all he was worth.

Suddenly she rose up and swept everything onto the ground.

They all fell in distant metal thunks and sharp tinkles of glass, followed by the soft flutter of parchment.

Hermione immediately sank to her knees, hands hovering over the the broken frames. Glass glittered all around.

She wept on the floor of her office.


	2. Chapter 2

_May 9, 1999_

 

* * *

 

Draco Malfoy found himself at The Burrow.

Which was dirty, dingy, and a gnome ran over his foot while he stood on the border of what he presumed was a garden.

In his arms was a wrapped box with a big bow that flickered from one color to the next.

His father and he were the only living Death Eaters who weren't taking a lifelong vacation in Azkaban. He was still wealthy beyond all measure, despite the Ministry's ridiculous Death Eater tax. Not its official title, but that's what it was.

Mother was… well, she would be fine.

She was the entire reason he was here, after all.

Draco walked up and knocked on the door firmly, hearing the babble of many voices mingling. He knocked again for good measure.

The door opened suddenly, Loony Lovegood stood there with a garland of green betony askew on her head. "Draco! I haven't seen you since I was in your dungeon."

"Right. Hello," he couldn't imagine a more awkward greeting. Except getting Stunned. That would be far more awkward.

He glanced past her. Redheads were interspersed in the crowd like fungi after a rain.

"I'll show you where to put the present." Loony grabbed his sleeve and began to walk.

It wasn't a tight grip. Draco could have pulled away but didn't, considering this was the nicest greeting he was going to get.

As people saw him the volume died abruptly. Oh it wasn't completely silent, but Draco wished it was. He could make out the occasional word and while it wasn't angry, it wasn't flattering either.

"Here!" Luna gestured proudly to the wood table groaning with gifts.

Before he could set the package down and escape, someone took exception to his presence. "Seriously, Malfoy?"

Draco immediately checked he still had his wand in his sleeve, expecting to see Weasley King. But he was surprised to turn and see Percy.

"I wasn't aware anyone invited you," he said coldly.

Regaining his mental footing, Draco set the gift down resolutely. "I am related to the birthday boy."

"More the pity to him."

Percy walked away without another word, undoubtedly to alert the other self-righteous pillocks about the interloper.

Draco kept waiting for someone to actually ask him why he was here. He had an answer all ready.

It was still a shock when he saw her.

Andromeda.

So this is what aunt Bella might have looked like had she not been mad.

His mother's sister was holding his second cousin? third cousin? Teddy. He was much tinier than Draco thought he might be.

Cute though, despite the garish red hair on his head.

He wore a blue jumper and pants with a big sailboat on the front.

Nobody seemed to notice Draco anymore. They were all loudly chattering and laughing. He stood in a pocket of space with everyone's back turned, ignored.

By the time Andromeda made her way to the other side of the room, he was gone.


End file.
